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The rules for pedestrians at a rotary are not as simple as you might think. These traffic islands can be confusing, and it is important that people know what they are getting into before they cross the street. This blog post lists 12 rules every pedestrian should follow when crossing around these traffic circles.
* When crossing a rotary, you should always walk on the right-hand side. This is so that drivers can more easily see pedestrians and yield to them appropriately. It also means that people are less likely to strike others when they turn their heads in order to speak with someone walking alongside of them.
The rules for pedestrians at a rotary are not as simple as you might think. These traffic islands can be confusing, and it is important that people know what they are getting into before they cross the street. This blog post lists 12 rules every pedestrian should follow when crossing around these traffic circles:
*When crossing a rotary, you should always walk on the right-hand side. This is so that drivers can more easily see pedestrians and yield to them appropriately. It also means that people are less likely to strike others when they turn their heads in order to speak with someone walking alongside of them.
*Pedestrians who have already crossed the rotary should always stop at pedestrian crosswalks, even if there is no traffic coming from either direction. This will protect you against any cars entering the rotary unexpectedly, as well as prevent drivers on adjacent streets from cutting through a busy crosswalk without warning or looking for pedestrians first.
*It’s important not to walk past an intersection stop line into a lane that contains moving vehicles unless it is absolutely necessary–this includes lanes designated for right turns only! When crossing in front of these lanes, remember to look both ways and yield the right of way.
*Be particularly cautious when crossing in front of a lane that is designated for left turns only! Always make sure drivers have not forgotten about you before turning, or else there could be an accident on their part as well as yours.
*Before stepping into a pedestrian crosswalk–or any intersection, really!–always check for motorists approaching from either direction who may fail to stop even if they’re supposed to (remembering also that pedestrians always have the right-of-way at intersections). A good rule of thumb is whether traffic has stopped: If it hasn’t then don’t go out until it does; though be aware that this doesn’t mean all vehicles will necessarily stop just because they’re supposed to!
*If you are walking in a crosswalk and see traffic approaching, always stop before the white line.
*When crossing on a green light at an intersection where there is no pedestrian signal or control device, pedestrians should not enter until all vehicles have cleared the intersection (which may take some time).
*At intersections without signals but with a marked crosswalk that has been activated by being stepped on, pedestrians must wait for their turn to walk across unless it’s clear that drivers will slow down rather than speed up when turning right–though even if this turns out to be so it would still behoove them to stay put just in case.
*Pedestrians need only stop at most four feet away from a signalized intersection, as long as they are in the crosswalk. Pedestrians must always stop at least five feet away from an unsignalized intersection (marked or unmarked).
*When crossing on a green light and not within a marked crosswalk, pedestrians should wait for their turn to walk across unless it’s clear that drivers will slow down rather than speed up when turning right–though even if this turns out to be so it would still behoove them to stay put just in case.
*If you are walking along with traffic instead of against it and someone is entering your lane while driving towards you, give way by moving off the road until they pass by before continuing on your intended course; otherwise such a person could hit you with their vehicle and injure you. *Pedestrians should never cross anywhere other than at a marked intersection (marked or unmarked) even if it is to avoid oncoming traffic that cannot be avoided by waiting for the next green light–they must stop five feet away from an unsignalized intersection, as long as they are in the crosswalk.
*If pedestrians walk against traffic then drivers who can see them have right of way over those who can’t; this includes anyone driving down a one-way street when there’s no sidewalk in place. If this isn’t clear to someone while turning left, they need only look back before proceeding into the turn so long as doing so won’t involve cutting off or endangering another vehicle.
*Pedestrians should never cross between two parked cars if there’s room to walk in the street–drivers might not see them and could swerve or hit other pedestrians, then claim they didn’t see anything until it was too late. If this is unavoidable, make sure you have a flashlight with you at night so that drivers can see you when you’re crossing between vehicles.
*Anyone who has reached an intersection while walking against traffic must stop five feet away from any unsignalized intersection even if they are going back the way they came (such as someone on foot trying to get across a one-way street). Pedestrians may also turn left slightly before reaching the crosswalk of an unsignalized intersection and wait for traffic to clear before crossing.
*Pedestrians should face oncoming traffic when they are making a right-hand turn, even if it means walking against the flow of cars in order to do so safely.
*If you’re going straight at an unsignalized street or railroad grade crossing with no pedestrian tunnel or bridge available, cross as quickly as possible without stopping halfway across; but only after looking both ways for trains and notifying any nearby train operator by honking your horn that you intend to cross the tracks. If there’s a signal light that allows pedestrians to go while turning red, make sure other drivers see you waiting (i.e., stand still) until the lights change before crossing.
*When you’re crossing at an intersection, don’t cross while the “Don’t Walk” signal is lit–wait until it turns to either a flashing or solid white walking person, before taking your first step into the street.
*Pedestrians should never walk on train tracks unless absolutely necessary; in which case, be aware that trains move very quickly and could hit you if they are not expecting someone in their path. Only go onto railroad property after looking both ways for any approaching trains. (also see Rules 12)
*Obey all pedestrian signals like traffic lights and signs when crossing streets with them present so as to avoid jaywalking charges from law enforcement officers patrolling intersections who may otherwise take offense even though pedestrian traffic, such as “No Pedestrians” or “Do Not Enter.” These often signify areas where there are no crosswalks present as well, so always use caution near these locations if you must go through them anyway without stopping first at your point of origin before proceeding elsewhere.
*When entering a parking garage from either street pavement or sidewalk, be especially aware of the driver’s intentions. It is a common misconception that pedestrians have right-of-way in this scenario, but it all depends on what actions they take next – if you step back to avoid entering the garage and instead stand near its entrance so as not obstruct traffic (even though drivers may be frustrated with your apparent lack of understanding for safety), then you are liable to be hit by them since there does exist an exception against pedestrian rights here when “the pedestrian manifests an intention to cross [a driveway] only after having been lawfully warned by a police officer or peace officer.” *If possible, always try walking around construction sites at work where heavy machinery might otherwise cause injury just from being too close without any protective gear like hard hats
